Okay a little about me first. Ive had acne for 4 years, since i was 18. I believe my acne to be started by a testosterone deficientcy, and prolonged because of me.

TIPS:

TIP 1

*VERY IMPORTANT*

This is probably the most important out of every tip i have. Stop popping, picking, squeezing and touching your face and pimples. Not matter how far along the pimple, cyst, etc is, don't touch it if at all possible.

Trust me, i know how hard it is to do. My view was, id rather have a redmark on my face than a pimple. This caused me to pop every pimple i got, which has given me many redmarks that will take many many months to fade, instead of weeks. This is also what caused me to get inflamed pimples and cystic acne.

I always heard, as you probably have to, squeezing pushes bacteria farther down, blah blah. Well i considered myself a professional, popping and draining without any blood. (indeed gross) So I thought, well if i don't squeeze hard and don't see any blood im gravy. Well this is not the case. If you notice you only get pimples, cysts, imflammed pimples in certain areas, (cheeks, chin forehead, etc) a lot of these pimples are caused by you physically messing with your pimples.

Finally I took one month, and completely stopped popping, picking, etc. The first few weeks were the hardest, let me tell you. Several cysts, tons of whiteheads, id say about 4-6 whiteheads on my face at a time, maybe more. This was very emotionally hard on me, especially watching people look at my face instead of my eyes while talking to me.

Grit your teeth, and grow from this experience. Being negative about your face and on yourself...were does that get you? Does it help? Nope. Does it hurt? As a matter of fact it does. I could go further into this, but this is a long post, which i want read.

TIP 2

Don't over due your products. Again, been there done that. Proactive was my worst, it worked very well, until i overused it and made my skin really really sensitive. Also other acne products, harsh on the spot treatments should really not be used. These strong bp cremes, and over night creams do more harm than good. Your face doesn't want that.

If you notice, you didn't hardly wash your face, little own worry about it at all when you didn't have acne, did you? It gave me an obsessive compulsive additude. Everything revolved around my face, it still does, but not as much. (food is my main prob, have to think how its gonna effect face)

Anyways, try to stop messing and looking at your face so much. Wash once in morning and once at night. A gentle soap bar, aveeno SA bar and Clearasil Acne Bar, are awesome. Using both at same time helped me tremendously. SA for clear pores and clean skin, the bp in acne bar to kill bacteria and deep clean.

Don't use toners and other harsh stuff, even the on the spots. Leave a pimple alone, sure it might get huge, but if you leave it alone it won't have buddies follow it, caused by you. Sure these might help at first, but in the long run they do more harm than good.

Your face really doesn't need this, this is money for companies. If you can believe it, a lot of these products are made to keep you on them longterm. There probably is a cure for acne, due to hormonal, allergy, etc. But there is much much money to be made. This world is about money, not helping people.

So just use gentle cleansers, the ones i posted are really really good. For all skin types. Wash once in morning once at night.

TIP 3

This is another big help. The water temperature is way more important than you think. I just recently found this out over the last few weeks. I even tested it. Wash/shower in luke warm water, just warm enough to not be cold on your skin. Thats really for showering, you can go a little cooler, but don't use cold water when hand washing. (i don't anyways, and from my experiences, luke is the best)

This will help with the oil you produce TREMENDOUSLY. I noticed this when i was working out. You don't want to use hot water because your already hot. So i would use luke warm water, and slowly after a few days (i believe, or could have been longer) my face slowed oil production a lot.

Now at this point, i still had no idea why my face was chilling out. Well days went by, i hadn't worked out in a while, and showered with warm to hot water. (it feels real good, especially on cold day) And the next day, more oil. Finally i put two and two together and went back to luke water all the time. Its not as comforable, but i can bare with it for 15 mins.

Anyways this might be old news to some or most, but i guarantee you'll see a difference. Maybe not a dramatic one, as me, but you'll notice somthing. (trying to cover my ***, i don't like saying CURE CURE CURE, then getting flamed :P) Anyways, no more hot showers...test it for yourself.

TIP 4

Another very big one is food. Now this is not for all, but for many. Mine was cheese. Again, this took me some time to figure out. I love(d) nachos, enchiladas, lasagna, cheese sticks, etc. I didn't have any clue this was causing many cysts i was getting. Until i noticed squenced breakouts 4-5 days after eating a meal with a lot of cheese, mainly melted cheeses. Its like rubber in your digestive tract.

Now i use lactose free milk. I don't drink milk (eveb lactose free) anymore, only use it in cereals, and other foods requiring milk. After i stopped cheese, a found tortilla chips to also have bad effects on me. The oils, mainly hydrogenated oils are hardcore for cysts on me. I havn't eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in a few years. I loved those, but peanut butter is horrible with this..i mean BAD.

Also i had to give up all tv dinners, even the healthy ones.

Eating healthier hasn't only helped my face, but ive lost a lot of weight, and put on a lot of muscle. I feel great about myself these days, not believing it, from how i few only a year ago. And now, the confidence i had in there has come out, and life is grand.

Remember, once this acne is gone, these days will be in the past...try to remember that.

Take this as a learning experience. Meant to train and prepare the mind for life. If you think about it that way, it will make you stronger mentally than you can imagine. I feel like an alien to this planet, lol. Acne placed me as an observer in life, now i see and understand things more than i ever could or would have without acne. Take the positive were you can, and remove as much negative as possible.

In a physics sense...Positive pulls in positive, Negative pushes away positive. So if you think positive, you'll be positive, and even attract. (if you caught that last part.)

Good Luck people, i sure hope you read this and take it and do it. I guarantee it will change you. Again, i take it as a gift. (odd i know) But its helped me not get caught up in the wrong games, life throws at you. Learn and grow...why do anything negative with this time?

Last edited by dfwgoodguy; 03-04-2005 at 02:40 PM.

The following user gives a hug of support to dfwgoodguy:dinky0994 (11-01-2010)

The Following User Says Thank You to dfwgoodguy For This Useful Post:dinky0994 (11-01-2010)

Great advice! I am a cystic acne sufferer and I never considered my water temperature. Even though its hard to stop picking I do notice worse scars once i do pick at them. Also, I'm glad SOMEONE has mentioned the harm toners can do... they always seem to make matters worse for my acne. I don't know what foods cause the flare ups but i think I will watch a little more closely thanks to some of your advice.

I definately notice when I take a hot shower, my skin looks AWFUL. If its cooler temperture, it looks fine.
I dont think food affets my acne at all. Sometimes I go without cheese for a few weeks at a time, and I still get cysts. Sometimes Ill drink milk for a week straight, and nothing happens. Its weird.. But I also have times where I eat more candy and junk and then times when I eat mostly fruits and healthy foods and theres absolutely no change.
I noticed that my skin was worse when i drank water with everything. When I drank water a little less frequently, there wasnt a big change. I dont feel water consumption affects me, either. But I could be wrong- I definaetly notice when I exfoliate and then use a topical, the effects are better. I used to only splash my face with water, apply a bit of exfoliant and I was done. I did that for years with zero acne. I dont know what went wrong but damn it sucks.

Exfoliation is good, since i am a male, i get mine through shaving. Which i do about 2 times a week. Which could be the same for someone wanting to exfoliate. 2 times a week is good enough, again, this can be over done and hurt more than help.

As for milk, cheese, hydrogenated oils, etc. This was specifically from my experiences with my body. Although hydrogenated oils, are highly known for effecting acne. The others may not affect you at all, you'll have to figure it out on your own. Usually food related breakouts happened 4-5 days later for me. They gave me cystic acne only, thats how i knew it was the food. Also once i stopped the foods, the cysts i did get where only caused by me squeezing pimples. Which i know, because inflamed pimple, being squeezed equals a cyst in that exact same spot, or very close.

I still say by far, even if food was your cause, you could continue to eat whatever, but you'll still notice a huge change in your face if you stop popping ans squeezing.

And odd enough, its the hardest one to stick with. Especially with people looking at your face, and you just knowing where each pimple is and seeing their eyes zoom around your face..lol. There so ignorant to acne, that they can never understand it, so don't bother with them.

Build the strength to stop the squeezing, and the rest will fall together, i promise. Give yourself 1 month at least. Remember pimples already forming under skin, are gonna come out anyways. So don't be discouraged..

Ya you are so right about the picking thing. I am a picker, I am just too embarrased to be seen with a bunch of big, white headed, huge pimples. Actually, I think I have a lot of cysts that form a white head for a little while, but the actual red bump stays for over a month. That sux, big time!!
Anyway, I always have hot showers. It feels good, but also, I like the way my hair feels with hot water washes. I will definately give that water thing a shot. What have I got to lose right? Exactly, ACNE!!! hehe
Good thread, very helpful. Hard to stick to, but very true.

Its hard at first. I'll tell your its very very similar to weight loss. With weight loss, if you stick to a goal or eating healthy and regular exercise for 2 months, after 2 months its natural. I say after 1 month of not picking, you'll be set.

You have to imbed it in your mind, you want this gone, the whiteheads are temporary. Sure people will stare, and im sure people will have their gossip about you. All that goes away soon as the pimples are gone. Even days later.

What are they gonna say, "hey kim, remember those whiteheads on her face last week, omg so gross"

lmao, it actually probably is possible with people these days, but very unlikely.

But like i said, thats the hardest to do, the showers and the dropping of harsh products and washing only 2 times, is very simple. You have to overcome the compulsion of these things, you didn't do all this when your face was clear.

Good Luck..

Oh yeah, you also said somthing about the way it feels on your hair. Do you have any dandruff at all? Because hot water dries the scalp the same way as your face, but doesn't produce oil to compensate. Again, good luck.

Thanks so much for the advice, lately I dont tend to pick at my spots as much only when they pop themselves I just help it out but not force it. I also noticed that for me food is definatly linked, i went to Italy couple of months ago and everything i ate was cheesy (yum) but paid the price, few days later i had a huge breakout then i played with it and now have cystic acne which I'm struggling to get rid of. I have to try the water temperature though. Thanks again!!

You mentioned that pro-active was the worst. But you also said that it worked until you overdid it. Do you think that if you don't overdo it then it can be helpful. What do you mean by overdoing it?

Its worth a shot. It works well, as long as you follow directions, and don't have cystic acne. I overused it by using the lotion too much, probably using too much cleanser...and lol...instead of using a cotton swab for the toner, id splash it in hand and put on face like aftershave. (this is way back in the day when i was new to acne)

Well this caused my face to get burned and i then developed cystic acne. Which was way worse than regular pimples. If you have just little whiteheads, and some pimples, it should work good. But not for cysts, also i think it starts to lose its effectiveness after a while.

Just remember when you want to cancel your "membership", be ready for them to send one more 40$ order after you cancel.

Good Luck...personally, if u met those criteria. Use proactive till your face is clear, then give a gentle soap bar a shot, like the ones i posted...they work really well.

Well i have some questions for you. Also as said in my post, the foods, like milk and cheese, these are all personal to me, not everyone has these same issues.

Now, Is your skin oily?

What kind of acne do you have?

What kind of cereal is it you eat?

Answer those, now ahead of you answering....if your skin is oily, your hot showers are taking all your moisture from ur skin, causing overprduction of oil, which causes many pimples quicker. The more oil the more active the pores, which equals more acne. (acne prone skin anyways, non-acne prone skin, oily skin is actually okay, its slows aging, but for acne prone people, more oil is indeed bad.) That was a lot of comma's. :P

As for hair gel, make sure you wash hands ANYTIME you are going to touch your face, i wash my hands several times a day, and if face itches or i need to touch at all, i use back of hand...no oil being secreted there. Keep gel off face and your fine.

Oranges have been known to cause cystic acne for some, no cystic acne? This isn't the case for you. Cystic acne? its possible, but not for a fact.

Also as for the cereal, if they are healthy cereals its not as bad, but if its liek capncrunch, golden grams, cocoa puffs, all other non-healthy cereals. They are loaded with sugar, and are processed, which is a digestion issue. Which usually in turn becomes an acne issue for acne prone. So keep to healthy cereal if possible, since you eat so much of it.

Also, if you feel milk, cheese, and overall dairy don't effect your acne, ignore any comments from my post, again...its just an issue for me, but can be for many others.

Other than that, your cleaning regime looks okay. Not over washing, and not underwashing. Keeping it simple is key, along with not popping or squeezing.

From my pov, without your reply. I assume you have oily skin, and im almost sure its from your showers. Cool the water down, slap yourself a lot to get your "glow" you seek. ;P

Yep i have cystic acne on one side of my face, but generally everywhere else its just moderate acne. Ive had spots since i was 12 and am now 19!! I eat kellogs just right, mini weetabix with the chocholate inside, wheetos, and shreddies. I wouldnt say my skin is oily as such, infact probably not at all. Its pretty dry.

I feel milk is probably the issue though, as i have a lot with my cereal, so i intake a lot. I don't know what i could use instead?

If your "cover up stick" is not non-comedegenic...it will clog pores. So that could be a thing too.

As for milk, switch to lactose free milk, or infact stop eating cheese if you eat it now. Cheese, especially melted is way worse than plain milk. So if you do eat melted cheese (pizza, nachos, enchiladas, lasagna, etc) then stop and see if you see any improvement. These where a cystic thing for me, and it all stopped when i stopped the cheese. I eat cheese now, but not melted. And if i do, i eat it once every other week. Lactose free milks, like lactaide, and soy milks, and other lactose free milks work well. However they are expensive.

Thats why i say quit cheese first, but you do eat 6 bowls a day of cereal, maybe don't drink the leftover milk?

As for your cereals, those are good ones.

And also, the water thing. Just a guess...But i think your dry skin could also be from your hot water. Hot water removes moisture in your skin and hair. But as for you, your face may not make up for the lost moisture, and be dry. Acne effects both dry and oily. A little oil is needed, to keep skin clear of dead skin cells that accumulate when dryness happens, and just over time.

However excess oil, causes any clogged pores to come to surface faster than dryer skin. So its kind of a lose lose thing. You need to be in the middle if possible. But again, its all because your skin is acne prone.

Many people have dry or oily skin and don't have acne. That is because they are not acne prone. As for acne prone skin, you need to be minimal oil, but not dry. Again, its situational.

Good Luck...try the water and cheese things for 3 weeks...along with nto popping and picking i would be 90% sure you'll see a difference.